Protect & Survive, Not Love

I met her the first time when I was Six, my parents took me to a park to meet with friends of theirs. The playground had two other children an older boy around my age and a small girl with golden blonde hair. She was crying as the boy stood laughing holding a doll, my parents stood a distance behind me talking with another couple. I took off running to where the two kids where as I became angry at the site. My father always told me to treat every girl with respect, and seeing the boy hurting a little girl just made me angry and I felt the need to protect her. My actions that day decided my fate and got the attention of very powerful person. My father said I had made him proud and brought great honor to our family name. I was too young to understand what had happened, but I later learned and accepted my fate as I grew up. That day I and protected the only child of the head of the Mob, deep dangerous world of crime we were both born into.
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I met her the first time when I was Six, my parents took
me to a park to meet with friends of
theirs. The playground had two other children an older boy around
my age and a small girl with golden blonde hair. She was crying as the boy stood
laughing holding a doll, my parents stood a distance behind me
talking with another couple. I took off running to where the two
kids where as I became angry at the site.

When I reached the other kids, who was still laughing he was a
few inches shorter than me and had a squeaky laugh that angrier
me more. I shoved him hard as I strategically moved my leg to
trip him as he stumbled back. As he yelled, I quickly bent down
and picked up the doll he had dropped when he fell. I brushed off
the doll that was a little tattered and warn from excessive play,
I turned around and looked at the little girl who still had tears
fallen down her cheek. She seemed very frightened of me so I just
reached and extend my arms with the doll close to her. She
snatched it out of my hands quickly and hugged it to her chest. I
felt hand on my back of me and shove me forward and I almost fell
right into the crying girl, but she moved quickly out of the way.
I turned to see the smaller by looking angry and fuming at my
actions.

"Why did you push me you stupid head" the small boy yelled at me

"You were making her cry" I said as I stepped closer to the boy
to show I was not afraid of him

"She's a stupid girl" the boy said and I lost control and I
punched him in the center of his face

He fell to the ground and started to cry and blood started
flowing out of his nose, my hand was throbbing as I stood
watching the boy. He quickly got up and ran away toward house
that were across the street from the park. I don't know why I
acted that way I just hated the idea any girl hurting especially
when he was picking on someone so much smaller than him. The
sound of sniffling brought me out of my thought and remembered
the little girl was behind me still.

She was still crying, but not as hard as she was when I first
came over to the playground, I took a step closer to her. She
clinched the doll titers to her, and I remembered not liking the
look of fear in her face. I had returned her doll did she really
think I was going to take it away again. I kicked at the sand
under my feet thinking of something to say when I noticed she had
a scrape on her knee.

"Does
your knee hurt?" I asked looking at the knee

"Uh huh" she said in a small soft voice, and it gave me the
courage to look up at the small girl.

She had bright blue eyes that were puffy and red from her crying,
but in a way I could see she would be pretty if she was not
upset. I knew my mother would tell me she was beautiful, she was
always doing that in front of every girl I talked to, trying to
embarrass me.

"My mom has some band-aid do you want me to get one for you" she
nodded her head and when I looked over to where my parents where.
It shocked me to see they were staring intently as where their
friend, they must have watched the incident

I was afraid that my father would be angry at my action that I
could have disappointed and increased him in front of his
friends. I looked up to my father and wanted nothing more than to
please him and make him proud. I felt a small gentle, soft hand
wrap around my hand and a I was shocked to see the little girl
holding my hand walking toward where my parents stood. I looked
at my mother as we approached and she and the women beside her
where both smiling as we walked closer. I stopped a few feet away
and the little girl followed my action.

"Mama. She hurt her knee and needs a
band-aid" I said as both when came closer as the little girl held
my hand tighter

"Jane, what happened to your knee" The other women said as my
mother pulled out wiped and band-aids

"That other little boy was mean to me, he pushed me and I fell"
Jane said as tears started to fall from her eyes

"Okay will take you to the restroom and clean you up" The women
said as she picked up little girl and started walking away with
my mother beside her

I stood there a little confused about what had happened, and
trying to figure out if they were her parents. I looked over at
my father and the other man stood with hard expression on their
face. I couldn't tell if I was going to get in trouble or not,
but I didn't see why I would I helped the little girl.

"River come over here, there is someone I would like you to meet"
My father said in a strong tone of voice and I walked over
feeling unsure about whom this guy was, but did as I was told
"River this is, Dante, that little girl Jane is his daughter" I
nodded and smiled as I was always instructed to when introduced
to important people

"It's nice to meet you sir" I said as
he extend a hand and I shock it the best I could

"I saw what you did for my daughter, you protected and took care
of her, why is that?" he said giving me
a questioning look

"My father always told me to treat girl like you would treat your
mother, I wouldn't treat my mother that way and didn't like
seeing a little girl cry" I said as he nodded and smiled at me.

"You raise a fine young man here Gio, he will do will when he
older in our family" my father nodded

"Thank you" my father said as he sent a small wink to me and I
relaxed a little knowing I was not in trouble

"River who would you like, to come work for me when you are old
enough" Dante said and he needed down to my level, I glanced at
my father who gave me a small smile in reassurances

"I would like that very much sir" I said and he smiled as he
offered his hand to my father

"We'll talk tomorrow about getting him into a popper school" As
he said that he walked away toward the restroom where my mother
was coming back from

My father was more shocking as I followed his to our car once my
mother approached us and he whispered something into my mother's
ear. He was driving us home when we stopped and he bought my
favorite dinner that I only ever got on my birthday. When I asked
why we got this, I remember his words perfectly clear to this
very day

"River, you made me proud and brought great honor to our family
today."

I cherished that feeling I had in my darkest hour of the next 14
years because what I thought was good put me through a long tough
jury that many could not handle. My father sent me to a school
where I was trained in fighting, educated in general practices of
this new lifestyle, and learned the history. But I strive and
worked harder than I need to, so I could be the best. I wanted to
and needed to be the best because I eventually found out that
Dante the man I meet in the park was one of five of the most
powerful Mobster in the world and he had chosen me. I wouldn't
let him or my father down, so I worked to be the best I could,
with other children that had been born into this life. Some had
higher power and were born into power that didn't work so hard. I
worked to be the best and when my schooling was done I was the
number one student and had the highest- degree in every field I
could.